MJF Images Fine Art landscape, nature and travel images from the American West and around the world.

Archive for the ‘Baja California’ Tag

A bison grazes the late autumn grasses on a cold sunny Yellowstone morning.

I thought I’d put together a best of post featuring my idea of my best photographs of this recently completed mega-roadtrip. In 14 weeks I visited Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California and Baja California, Mexico. What a trip! There are some star-scape shots that I’ll save for another post, but these are essentially my favorites. Hope you enjoy them. Please don’t try to copy or download them from here. They are copyrighted. Click on an image to be taken to my website, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thanks a bunch!

A beaver-dammed channel of the Snake River in Grand Tetons National Park is the perfect mirror for sunrise.

The moon creates a surreal scene in Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.

On a cold autumn morning on the rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado, fog spills off the plateau & into the canyon.

A frozen meadow at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming thaws as the sun appears.

An alpha male wolf in Yellowstone National Park is unsure how he happened to get so close to the human.

The Animas River in northern New Mexico flows peacefully past cottonwoods and aspens in their autumn glory.

Penyasco Blanco and the sky, at sunset in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

A full moon shines on the Goosenecks, a series of incised meanders on the San Juan River in SE Utah.

Ship Rock stands under a glowing moon in the northeastern New Mexico desert.

A Monument Valley Sunset from the Mittens looking west.

The moon clears the horizon at Monument Valley, Arizona.

The sun peeks into the narrow confines of Antelope Canyon, Arizona.

Lake Powell along the Utah/Arizona border glories in sunrise.

The Page Balloon Regatta culminates in a panoply of glowing balloons.

This outcrop of sandstone at Spencer Flat in the Escalante country of southern Utah shows a complex pattern of merging dunes in ancient times.

The road in Zion Canyon, Utah is lined in places with cottonwood trees.

In the Kolob Canyons of Zion National Park stands an old log cabin.

The sky and walls of LaVerkin Creek Canyon in Zion National Park reflect vibrant colors in the small stream that the trail follows.

This is goodbye to Mexico, for now. It’s a long drive to make it all the way home by Christmas. I really like Mexico, and have to wonder about the reputation it has for not being safe. While that might be true in Ciudad Juarez, and perhaps a few other places, it is most definitely not true in any general sense. It is as safe as any country in the world, and the people are generous and friendly. The food is good, the sun smiles nearly every day, and the girls are very pretty (I can’t speak for the guys, sorry ladies). So if you haven’t been here yet, what are you waiting for?

An odd construction from whale bones stands on the waterfront in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

I am leaving via Tecate, my preferred border crossing for Baja. It is more direct to go through Tijuana, but that crossing is very crowded and this is a more scenic route. The mountains just over the border in California are quite beautiful too. I have decided I could be happy living in Ensenada. I met many nice people there, and I came close to tearing my heart a little bit in leaving one particular person. A little longer, and…

Frequent any town square (zocalo) in Mexico and you’ll see clowns who often draw very large crowds.

The Ensenada harbor hosts cruise ships, and on this night when fire works are planned, a fire boat entertains spectators on shore by spraying water.

This is the second of two parts. Scroll down for the first post. Ensenada is not a big city. I don’t know about the statistics, but it feels like a modest city or very large town. I have always loved places of this size. Having been here a week, I am starting to see the some of the same folks. They show recognition and are starting to wave and say Buenos Dias. They probably think I’ve moved here. The citizens are good people here.

The Ensenada fish market shows off some of its more interesting offerings.

The city center (el centro) is basically divided into two sections. One is the waterfront, which extends a few blocks away from there towards the east. This is the “Zona Turistica”, an area with signs in English, high-end shops, and restaurants with food that suit the palettes of Americans and other Anglo Saxon types.

The sun is kissing this jar of honey fo sale in Ensenada, Mexico.

The city’s prostitutes operate out of this section too, though streetwalkers are very rare. Instead, they hang out in strip bars and massage parlors. If you’re a man walking through this area, be prepared for local guys to offer you the services of young girls. I wonder why so many people assume that middle-aged white men want to make it with girls who could be their daughters, or even granddaughters. It’s very true in Asia as well, Thailand being infamous for it. Very disturbing. All of that said, I very much enjoy seeing and photographing the pretty women of Mexico, both young and old.

Clowning around on the waterfront of Ensenada, Mexico.

The great thing about the tourist section is that, being the waterfront, locals use it heavily. Even when cruise ships arrive and disgorge their passengers, locals outnumber tourists. This means there are taco stands, great local restaurants, and even a local coffee shop or two. I’ve been frequenting a delightfully cozy little cafe in the same mall where Sanborn’s Cafe is located (look for their sign). Called Cafe Italia, it’s mere steps north of the town’s Starbucks.

A young senorita smiles for the camera on a pretty December day on Ensenada, Mexico’s waterfront.

Sadly, the Starbucks gets much more business, perhaps because it is streetfront on Lazaro Cardenas, the road that runs right along the waterfront. My little cafe is sort of hidden away, but it’s worth finding. Sanborn’s Cafe is a nice restaurant as well, with traditionally dressed waitresses.

Reddish madrone and granite make a pleasant color combination on a climb in Baja California, Mexico.

Cruise ship passengers seem not to wander beyond the Zona Turistica. Granted there is plenty to keep you here. The malecon passes the fish market, which is alongside a row of seafood restaurants (convenient!). You will be offered boat rides here, from whale watching to fishing trips. There are the requisite tours that go to various places that I am not familiar with, but I have not heard of anything that really piques my interest.

Ogla, the waitress, who is dressed in nice traditional clothes, wants to know if I want more coffee.

If you simply walk a few blocks further from the sea, you come upon cheaper shopping and a much more traditional Mexican vibe. There is a Sears and a couple other department stores, but there are also many small shops where you can pick up clothes and other stuff at good prices. I bought myself a sombrero, my very first cowboy hat, for only $17. It’s very nice, and the same shop has high quality leather cowboy boots for much cheaper than you’d find them in the U.S. Further down south, a little ways from the city center, American big box stores have opened (Walmart, Home Depot, Costco).

On the streets of Ensenada, Mexico, a dune buggy is freshly painted for Christmas.

In amongst the shops in the city center are a plethora of streetside eateries. This is a big part of Mexican culture. Walk down the street around lunchtime and pick a popular taco stand. You’ll get tasty fresh-fish tacos for about a dollar. And you will likely be serenaded by guitarists singing traditional Mexican songs. Most everybody eats standing up in the shade of the stand. Very often it is grandmothers making the tacos, and their grand-kids will usually be there if school is not in session. Catch a Mexican when they are eating and you will always get a friendly attitude. Food is the glue that binds people, especially families, together here.

Two good friends greet with a hug in Ensenada, Mexico.

As far as nightlife goes, there are local favorites, such as Hussong’s Cantina a few blocks inland from the harbor. Then there are the touristy places like Papas & Beer. Dance clubs are also in this same area. At about 10 p.m. on a weekend night, look for the lines to get in, young (and gorgeous) girls along with guys trying to be cool about it all. Policia are all about the area, but truth be told, this is a perfectly safe area, even at night. Ensenada is not Tijuana.

The desert of Baja California Norte in Mexico is a seeming hodgepodge of odd-looking plants.

Plenty of people from California take vacations down here in the summer. But I really think Ensenada is by and large overlooked in favor of La Paz and Cabo to the south. Many visitors to the Baja Peninsula fly to the southern resorts, and I can’t say anything bad about a quick and easy winter escape down there. But if you have the time to drive down, or if you’re going by bus down the peninsula, Ensenada and the deserts of northern Baja California are certainly worth some time.

A young Mexican couple in love.

Moving on from Ensenada, you can head south via San Felipe over on the eastern side of the peninsula. This involves some gravel road south of San Felipe, but it is very scenic and unpeopled. And you get to see a lot of the Sea of Cortez, a more beautiful coastline I think than this part of the Pacific Coast. You can always return north via the main paved highway, so as to visit Parque Nacional Sierra San Pedro Martir (see previous posts). That’s all for Baja (I think). Hope you enjoyed it!

A fire boat sprays water into a colorful dusk sky in Ensenada, Mexico.

I feel after being here a week (my second visit) that I can safely recommend some things for anyone planning a short visit to Ensenada, which is on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico a couple hour’s drive south of San Diego. For someone planning to come for longer than a few days, perhaps I would need to stay longer, maybe a month. That’s the way it works, at least for me. I need to be in a place for awhile in order to speak intelligently about it, and then my thoughts are only good for a shorter visit than I had. It’s something I recently discovered about travel. Note that I don’t cover many of the standard attractions; do a quick internet search (e.g. Trip Adviser) for the standard sort of advice.

Everyone needs a hat: Ensenada, Mexico.

I’m finally posting some people pictures, though my last post actually talked about the people more. Sort of a mismatch I realize, but it probably only bothers me, and not all that much at that.

A pretty girl on the streets of Ensenada, Mexico. Note the pay phone, a disappearing sight.

Ensenada, like so many places, grows on you. Many people from San Diego or elsewhere in SoCal maintain a house down here. And many of those end up retiring down here. So it is slowly becoming more popular. Sure, Loreto to the south on the Peninsula, along with other places in Mexico, are more popular retirement destinations. Ensenada, after all, has a seedy side. And there are not really any good beaches nearby. But it is a superb place to have a boat, and the fishing is excellent. It is also a very safe place to be in Mexico, which is pretty important these days. And for an American, being so close to U.S. soil is downright convenient.

A man selling honey on the streets of Ensenada, Mexico laughs at a friend ribbing him.

There is one little piece of Ensenada that I was missing, that is until I found one last night; that is, a brewpub. On a recent walk near sunset (my favorite time to take a walk), I ran into a great microcerveceria, or microbrewery. It’s called the Old Mission. I was skeptical about the quality of their brew, but they proved me dead wrong on that score. It is the first in Ensenada. La Paz, Tijuana, Mexicali, they all have several brewpubs.

A plain wall and window are given a bit of color in Ensenada, Mexico.

A good brewpub is something we take for granted now in the Pacific Northwest. But in Mexico you cannot buy microbrews in the stores. Tecate is like Budweiser, and that company even manages to keep out competitors like Pacifico (which is my favorite mass-produced beer in Mexico). You can find Pacifico in cans, but the best kind, that is, in thick-glass returnable bottles, is rare indeed.

A glass lamp and the setting sun combine to make a miniature lighthouse in Ensenada, Mexico’s fishing harbor.

The microcerveceria, which has only been open about a year, is a very well built place, with soaring ceilings made of good ol’ Oregon Doug fir beams. It cost the owners a bundle to import them. They serve good pizza, and a variety of very good Mexican dishes and pasta. They serve a couple great IPAs, plus a few ales, including a brown and a red. And unlike in the U.S. (at least the ones I’ve been to) this brewpub sells mixed drinks. Prices are quite reasonable, what with the good exchange rate between American dollars and pesos. A margarita goes for about $2.50, while pints are in the $3.00+ neighborhood. Sadly, $1 beers are pretty much gone in most of Mexico.

Men selling honey (miel) in Ensenada, Mexico pass the time in a card game.

This post has two parts. Tune into the second of these tomorrow!

A walk up a desert wash on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula reveals some nice surprises, including palm trees.

Along Ensenada, Mexico’s waterfront are a number of places to eat fresh and cheap seafood (mariscos).

This post is about some of my experiences with people here in Mexico. I love the focus on family, and the mellow attitude most Mexicans have toward rules and regulations. There seems to be too many Americans these days who are in love with rules and regs., official and otherwise, if it allows them to act with disdain towards people they come across during the day. This is not very true in Mexico. And on the Baja Peninsula, which is this country’s wild west, things are pretty relaxed.

An elephant tree grows large in the desert of interior Baja Peninsula, Mexico.

There is a general lack of people photographs here, and I apologize for that. If you’ve read some of my posts from other countries you know I do not have an aversion to taking photos of people. But for me it has to be the right atmosphere.

The enormous granite boulders of the northern Baja Peninsula desert catch the day’s last light.

I almost never do casual people photography in the U.S., or most other developed countries. Most people do not like it, and they are harder to approach anyway. When it seems right, I always ask, and almost always engage the person in conversation, with some laughs thrown in. My goal is to loosen them up.

The northern Baja Peninsula in Mexico shows off some color after rains.

But sadly, Mexico is getting to be more and more similar to the U.S. There is a sort of standoffish vibe here now, and it seems to get more and more prevalent with time. Perhaps not coincidentally, I have noticed a real increase in the desire to shop and accumulate stuff in Mexico. I think the same is happening in China, but I don’t have enough visits to that country, so as to make that observation.

This statue of a native warrior in Ensenada, Mexico has one heck of a headdress.

But go into the rural areas of Baja, and you will meet friendly farmers, ranchers and woodcutters. They survive on the edge, working a dry piece of land, or even living off broad stretches of land. I’ve met a few of these folks – always men it seems. Things are still very much traditional in rural Mexico (not just Baja). There is a traditional division of labor between men and women, and the woman runs the house with real power.

The Riviera, an architectural landmark in Ensenada, Mexico, basks in golden late afternoon light.

Actually, I’m fascinated with the traditional, matriarchal senora of rural Mexico. I’d love to do a photo essay one day. Another great thing to do would be to take a horse or burro and travel down the length of Baja, staying well away from bigger towns and cities. I wonder if my horse could do it? A burro and walking would definitely work better, what with the lack of grazing.

The cactus in Baja California’s desert take on vibrant reddish hues after a winter rainstorm.

I have stayed in Ensenada for a few days now, getting something done. I’ve started to discover the out-of-the-way places: the little corner deli with great sandwiches, the best streetside stand for shrimp tacos, the sections where families walk, as opposed to those where streetwalkers walk. It is pretty cool for a traveler who is normally on the move to be somewhere for awhile, to begin to get to know the place.

There is green space along Ensenada’s waterfront.

In Mexico, it is usual for the town or city to at first appear very ugly. Trash on the streets, a sad, polluted and concrete-lined ditch that used to be a stream flowing down to the sea, houses made of sheet metal and plywood. But if you hang around, you start to notice how people use the place, how they make the best of things. Eventually you start to ignore the negatives and focus on the positives. I wish I were better at this, but I’ve always been a neither glass half-full or half-empty sort of person. I’m really in the middle, though the really bad stuff I have a habit of completely ignoring.

A type of gall growing on a desert plant in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula resembles a Christmas ornament.

Ensenada draws tourists. There are a few big hotels here, and quasi-resorts line the rocky coast to the north. Cruise ships actually call here, disgorging passengers to roam the streets where tequila and trouble await. I’m always one to be drawn to the seedy side of town, at least for one late-night foray. What can I say, I like living dangerously. Last night I went out, and visited a very popular bar. On a Tuesday night it was elbow to elbow with locals, all having a drink and listening to a mariachi band, who played with real spirit while being jostled by people weaving their way through the crowd.

The Riviera is an architectural landmark in Ensenada, Mexico.

Then I went to a not so popular club, with maybe a dozen men sitting and watching girls dance. I had a couple lap-sitters come my way, angling for that expensive drink, or possibly more? After pleasantries (I want to help them learn their English after all!), I sent them gently away. In Mexico the girls generally do not take everything off, and some even strip down to nothing less than you see on many American streets, in broad daylight. So it seems somehow a bit classier than the typical place in the U.S. (which I haven’t visited in many years).

There are numerous sculpted caves in the granite of Baja California’s desert.

It’s funny to see Mexicans all dressed up in their winter clothes, as the temperature dips to 60. Many are women who are taking the opportunity to wear fashionable stuff, the kind that only comes in cold-weather style. They are quite image-conscious here, slightly more so than in the U.S. I would say. Of course this goes for the single senoritas much more so than the settled senoras. I think men are too, but in a totally different, more subtle way. Or maybe I pay more attention to the women. This isn’t to criticize, just an observation.

The town of Ensenada on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula shows a nice face when the light is right.

The sun is out again, with clear blue skies after a stormy day yesterday. So I will head out and try to get a few people pictures before posting this. Thanks for reading!

The Baja California Desert in Mexico quietly bids goodbye to another day.

I didn’t get any photos of people, though I met plenty today. But I did get this photo of the Carnival ship that is docked in the harbor right now.

A rare rainbow graces the desert during sunrise in Baja California, Mexico.

This is my second trip to the Baja Peninsula, and sadly this time I could not travel all the way down to the southern tip. But that is definitely something I’ll do again with more time. On the bright side, on this trip I spent more time in the northern desert, specifically the Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Martir. There are two sections to this park, the northern (which I posted on last time) and the southern (which is bisected by Highway 1 and so is more accessible).

In Baja California Norte, Mexico, the desert plants (including these yuccas) often take the place of trees.

I drove down to the little town of El Rosario, which is where the highway turns inland from the Pacific Coast. There I met a couple friendly American expats, one of which let me park and camp on his property. The other guy has a restaurant, and since he’s a commercial fisherman this meant some excellent fish that night for dinner. El Rosario is nothing special, but for this reason it is sleepy and traditional. Other towns further down the Peninsula, such as Mulege and especially Loreto, have more going for them. But predictably, this results in their also being touristy. Loreto’s development as a retirement haven has completely transformed that formerly pleasant seaside town.

A beautiful ground cover is the reward for hiking out into the desert near El Rosario on the Baja Peninsula, Mexico.

Striking inland, the highway heads down the granite spine of the Peninsula, and soon you find yourself in a beautiful desert. It is floored with giant boulders of granite, and features an enormous variety of desert flora. This is the unique Baja California Desert. The endangered California Fan Palm grows here, as do the fascinating cirios (or boojum tree) and the amazing elephant tree. You will also notice a wide variety of cactus species, as well as some species of the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran borders this desert to the east, and runs up along the Sea of Cortez into Arizona.

Cactus and granite are features of the landscape of the northern Baja Peninsula interior.

I camped and hiked in the area for a few nights, enjoying the desert under some very nice light. This was courtesy of the weather, which turned stormy for a couple days. The desert received significant rainfall while I was there, which made for happy plants and colorful skies.

Cactus are happy in the arid but not too dry interior of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.

The highway does run through here, and there are precious few tracks heading off into the hills. And these are mostly 4wd only, especially when things are wet. So with the loud Mexican truckers rumbling through here during the night, it’s important to find a track that will take you at least a quarter mile from the highway. Then you can walk as far as you want in order to lose the sound of the highway. With all the granite monoliths sticking up out of the desert, and the shallow canyons heading in all directions, you will soon lose the sound of the truckers’ “jake brakes”.

This species, the California fan palm (left), is usually only found these days in gardens, but in Baja California, Mexico, it still grows in the interior of the Peninsula.

Make sure you are not like the 99.9% of people who rush down the peninsula headed for the warmth of Baja California Sur. I do understand. Mostly Canadian, but plenty of American snowbirds as well, they all have their favorite places to land, and they’re in a hurry to get there. But it’s a long long drive (well over 1000 miles one-way from San Diego to Cabo), so make it a point to stop and stretch your legs in some of the fine desert you’ll pass.

A big cardon cactus soars into the Baja skies.

And this stretch in the north, where the highway crosses Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Martir, is some of the most beautiful on the entire peninsula. If you like stars, do more than stop and take a walk. Camp here at elevation. Although the stars are nice and bright on the beach as well, they have an extra sparkle up here. Next up is a bit more on the people and culture here.

A rare desert rainstorm has left pools of water among the granite and cardon cactus of Baja California Norte, Mexico.

A photo & travel blog with a difference: Instead of strict focus on photo how-to, gear and the like, I'll pass on knowledge about the places and cultures photographed. I believe the more deeply you come to know a place, the better your pictures will be.

My past careers as science teacher and geologist mean that I can't help but teach about the natural history of photogenic places around the world. But photography is not forgotten. You'll also see practical tips about where and how to photograph the destinations. And once a week, Friday Foto Talk gives photography tips and how-to on a selected topic, for novices on up to expert.

What you won't find here is endless discussion about me braving dangerous weather, terrain or wild animals to get the shot. Nor will there be cheerleading gear talk or marketing pitches. I promise to leave that to other blogs, of which there are many.

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